Wagon-tongue



J. c. KI'TTERMAN.

WAGON TONGUE.

APPLICATION FILED IIIAILSI. 1919.

IVVENTOR.

fesse C. Il /z'erman PatentedSept. 13, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. C. KITTERMAN.

WAGON TONGUE.

APPLICATION msn ramal. 1919.

Patentd Sept. 13, 1921.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 ,A s su@ ,L/,g F1 5f Z2 /9 3026 ffy Fig. 6.

1 j I' 7*? 3g 2 Jsg amg'nfeman 1 A \v r f7 AQ" 2 l 4 lg 30 a a TOR/VERSE PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE CJKITTERMAN, OF CORYDON, INDIANA.

WAGON-Tonarm.

To all whom it may concern `Be it known that I, JESSE C. KITTERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residinA at Cor don, in the county of Harrison, tate of ndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Tongues; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. y l

This invention relates to vehicle tongues and more particularly to an attachment through the medium of which a regular dro tongue gear may be converted into a sti tongue gear, thus eliminating one variety of gearthat` must otherwise be carried by the manufacturer to ll commercial requirements.

l Figure 1 is a perspective view of the attachment. i

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of theattachment :in use.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken centrally and longitudinally through the tongue and the parts rearwardly thereof.

Fig. 5- is a transverse section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 2, to include the pivot of the hammer strap.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 10 represents the axle tree of the running gear of an ordinary wagon above which is disposed the usual cross member 11, between whichl and the axle tree are held the hounds that include the forwardly converging side members 12 and a rear cross member 13, the parts being held in their assembled relation by means of the bolts 14 that are engaged through the member 11, the hound sides 12 and the axle tree 10.

The attachment that is' employed for rigidly connecting a tongue with the Structure just described, comprises the forwardly converging yoke sides 17 that are adapted to fit snugly against the inner sides respectively of the hounds 12, in which positions they are held through the medium of the bolts 16 that' are passed through the yoke sides 17 and through the perforations of the hounds that ordlnarily receive the pivot bolt of the regular drop tongue. To prevent Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

Application led March 31, 1919. Serial No. 286,225.

vertical pivotal movement of the yoke sides on these bolts 16, there is bolted upon the inner ends of the yoke sides, a transverse bar 18, the extremities of which lie upon and are bolted to the hound sides 12.

The forward end portions of the yoke sides 17 are in lateral spaced relation and project beyond the forward ends of the hound sides and they receive between them a tongue 19, the rear end of which is notched at its upper side as shown at 20 to lie be neath and in contact with the under side of the bar 18, this notch 20 resulting in a shoulder 21 that rests against the forward faceof the bar 18 and limits the rearward movement of the tongue.

The forward end portions of the yoke sides 17 are provided with substantially U-shaped wear plates 22 that extend across the forward ends of the yoke sides 17 and rearwardly positions they are suitably secured. The inner members of these wear plates are arranged to contact with wear plates 23 disposed against the side faces of the tongue 19.

To form a socket for the tongue 19, in connection with the forward end portions of the yoke sides, there is employed a plate 24 secured to the under faces of the lyoke sides and connecting the latter, a second plate 25 being secured upon the upper faces of the yoke sides in registration with the plate 24 and having its central portion displaced upwardly. This to permit of the use of a tongue of greater vertical thickness than the yoke sides. An opening 26 is formed vertically through the tongue and the plates 24 and 25 to receive the usual bolt that holds the usual doubletree, the latter in practice resting upon the plate 25 and the bolt extending upwardly through a hammer strap 26, the rear end of which is pivoted upon a plate 27 secured at its ends upon the yoke sides rearwardly of the plate 25. The middle portion of the plate 27 is displaced upwardly to permit passage of the tongue thereunder. Beneath and registering with the late 27 is a plate 28, the end portions of wliiich underlie the forward ends of the hound sides 12, to which they are bolted as shown at 29. Other bolts or rivets 30 are engaged through the plate 27, the yoke sides 17 and the plate 28, to hold them in fixed mutual relation.

With this construction it will be underof both vertical faces, in which and fower faces of the forward stood that when a drop tongue gear is to be changed to a stiff tongue gear, it is necessary only that the drop tongue with its yoke be disconnected, when the present attachment may 1be placed and will receive and hold a tongue in stiff relation to the hounds. Thus the specific requirements of the market may be satisfied by shipping the vehicle with either the usual drop tongue or with the present attachment substituted for it and equipped with a tongue.

What is claimed is:

l. An attachment for rigidly connecting a tongue with vehicle hounds, comprisingforwardly convergent yoke sides adapted to removably and slidably receive a tongue between them, means for holding the tongue against removal, members secured transversely of the tongue and yoke sides at different oints longitudinally thereof and beyond w ich latter they proj ect laterally and to the upper and lower faces of which yoke sides they are! mespeetively secured, and separate means-carried by the yoke sides at points between the transverse members, forl attaching the yoke sides to hound members 'between which they may be disposed.

2. An attachment'for` stiiily connecting a tongue with vehicle hounds comprising a yoke including side members adapted to receive a tongue between them and having Ushaped wear plates embracing the forward ends of the yoke sides in position to directly receive the tongue, means for confining the tongue against vertical movement with respect to the yoke sides, registerinof plates respectively against the upper portions of the yoke sides, the latter of Which plates project laterally beyond the yoke sides, a bolt engaged through each yoke side and the corresponding ends of both of said plates, a hammer strap carried by the upper of said plates, a cross bar secured upon the rear end portions of the yoke sides and projecting laterally therefrom and a bolt engaged laterally through the yoke side and adapted for engagement through correspending openings in the hound sides between which the yoke sides are adapted to be received.

3. An attachment for stiiiy connecting a tongue with vehicle hounds comprising forwardly converging yoke sides having the outer side faces of their rear end portions disposed to lie against the inner corresponding faces of hound sides, a bolt engaged through each yoke side and of a length to engage through a corresponding hound side, a bar secured transversely of the upper faces of the yoke sides at their rear ends and projecting laterally therebeyond, a bar secured transversely of the lower faces of the yoke sides in advance of the bolts and projecting laterally beyond the yoke sides and plates secured upon the upper and lower faces of the forward end portions of the yoke sides and adapted in connection with the yoke sides to receive and rigidly hold a tongue.

In testimony whereof, I aiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

` JESSE C. KITTERMAN. Witnesses:

EDWARD G. KELLER, CHARLES A. KELLER. 

